Apple's Custom 5G Modem Could 'Change the Way iPhone Looks and Works' in the Long Term

Apple is investing billions of dollars into developing an in-house cellular modem, but the project is not expected to yield immediate improvements for users, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

Apple 5G Modem Feature
In last week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that, unlike the transition to Apple silicon, the company's first custom modem will not offer noticeable benefits for users. Individuals within Apple apparently "acknowledge that customers don't really care who makes the modem in their phone" and "it's hard to tell how big the benefits will be in the near term."

Instead, Apple is looking to play "the long game, hoping its modem will evolve into a more advanced component that could ultimately change the way an iPhone looks and works."

Down the road, there are plans for Apple to fold its modem design into a new wireless chip that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access. That would create a single connectivity component, potentially improving reliability and battery life.

There's also the possibility that Apple could one day combine all of this into the device's main system on a chip, or SoC. That could further cut costs and save space inside the iPhone, allowing for more design choices.

Apple has used modems designed by Qualcomm for over a decade, but moved to design its own following a legal battle over royalties and patents in 2018. Since then, it has faced issues with performance and overheating, and the component's debut has been pushed back until next year at the earliest. Its rollout is expected to take place on a gradual basis, starting with more niche devices and expanding across the lineup over the period of a few years.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

jz0309 Avatar
11 months ago
Nothing new here… just Gurman filling the summer hole
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
locovaca Avatar
11 months ago
Or, it can go the way of the Apple Car and be left to die before ever seeing the light of day.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mfram Avatar
11 months ago
No one "cares" about the modem in their phone... unless it sucks. Doesn't anyone remember the crappy performance with the Intel modems in the past when Apple crammed those in the phones? Verizon had the Qualcomm modems and did great. AT&T phones had the Intel modem which had crappy performance. Well, guess what? The Apple modem is just a continuation of the Intel modem. If the iPhone 16 has the Qualcomm modem and the iPhone 17 has the Apple modem, believe me there's going to be all kinds of reviewers which show how the "new" one compares to the old. Apple better get it right or the Internet will be ruthless.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Etc_ Avatar
11 months ago
Didn't Qualcomm say that it should be impossible to develop a modem as good and efficient as their own because of all the patents they hold?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freedomlinux Avatar
11 months ago

So what's the point of Apple's own modem?
Money. The licensing fees paid to Qualcomm are based on the total retail prices of the product, estimated to average $7.50 per device.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/01/14/heres-how-much-apple-was-paying-qualcomm-in-royalt.aspx

If Apple manages to make their own modems, avoid using Qualcomm's IP, and reduce their licensing fees, that adds up over millions/billions of devices. It doesn't matter if you get a slightly-worse-but-good-enough modem if they can save $5.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaniTheFox Avatar
11 months ago
Does this mean we will finally have a mobile connection in our laptops?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)